Hi,

Just wondered if any of you guys had any tips on building up upper body strength, but without going to the gym. I’m just not a gym person, I never last longer than a month there and find it really boring. Therefore i much prefer getting my exercise from cycling, running and football, all of which means my legs are in good shape but i’m pretty ‘weedy’ up top.

I’m not looking to get ripped body builder style, just improve general strength and not have scrawny arms!

Cheers!

Push ups
dips
pull ups

Sit ups and press ups ?

Going for a run with thoughs gay weight things strapped on your arms?

Rock climbing?

1) Get yourself a decent set of 15 or 20 KG dumbbells. Argos do decent York ones for about £30 or so. Conventional wisdom has it that you’re supposed to train 1 day on/1 day off with them, but I’ve been using them for 30 mins daily and my arms haven’t fallen off yet.

2) Press-ups – Free and effective! I try and do 100 each morning and the same again in the evening, but start with whatever you feel comfortable with and build up.

Get some kettlebells and if you’re really unsure, but serious about improving, a programme off of someone like that there RST Sport Solutions.

Search for MTSLanceArmstrong on YouTube. There are some good videos there.

swimming, and bouldering.

Swimming. I’ve always found it improves my cycling as well.

Singlespeeding up gert big hills, honking on the bars gives your upper body a proper workout

Chins and dips

Just wondered if any of you guys had any tips on building up upper body strength, but without going to the gym. I’m just not a gym person, I never last longer than a month there and find it really boring. Therefore i much prefer getting my exercise from cycling, running and football, all of which means my legs are in good shape but i’m pretty ‘weedy’ up top.

I used to think the same…

…but then I discovered the joys of lifting heavy shit doing stuff like squats and deadlifts.

45mins at 3x a week. If you get bored at the gym you are doing it wrong.

…but as mentioned, dips, pull ups, chin ups, push ups and variations of. Basically and BW exercise out there. You will need to buy a pull up bar though.

Have a kid, feed him/her up to 18kg or so, then lift him or her in and out of car seats and cots, then start playing upside down games and aeroplanes, that kind of thing. It’s great for core conditioning and bicep strength.

Press ups.

If your starting fresh, you’ll have to build up.

Get comfortable with a set amount, then start increasing by 5, get comfortable and repeat process.

I’m currently up to 55 before I start sweating, tend to do some in the morning then again once or
twice at night. You can always chuck in the odd 25 here and there.

Also do the standing up arms out straight at sides, twirling thing, 75 front rotation, 75 back rotation, again you’ll have to build up to it and beyond.
🙂

nbt – Member
Singlespeeding up gert big hills, honking on the bars gives your upper body a proper workout

Agreed! Probably not the quickest way to build upper body strength, compared to weights or whatever, but if you want to build it up whilst on the bike, this works a treat.

You can do too many press-ups though. A mate did, and it tightened up his pecs and made his shoulders hunch inwards.

Buy this- http://www.rosstraining.com/infiniteintensity.html
And train in your garage. If you get bored of this there is really no help for you.

Start dirt jumping.

OneHundredPushUps

there’s even an app for it! 🙂

What Cougar said – Rock Climbing. Or Bouldering if you don’t like the risks/heights.

If you get bored at the gym you are doing it wrong.

😆

You can do too many press-ups though. A mate did, and it tightened up his pecs and made his shoulders hunch inwards.

Heh.

+1 for swimming

Its nothing to do with doing too many push ups. Its to do with not following a balanced programme and not training the opposing muscle groups.

If you like gadgets (as most mountain bikers do) these are very popular at the moment and certainly make you sore. Can do lots of stuff with them and can be set up from trees etc.

TRX Fitness

Good fun

these are good…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcW61Bb8uOo

the first half of the movement can also be repeated backwards for a dive bomber press up. Try doing five, then a dive bomber, then another five and another dive bomber and so on.

try variations of the standard press up too, elevate your feet on a chair or bench or something for incline press ups. Use narrow and wide hand positions. Try normal press ups but as you allow the body to drop alternately take one foot off the floor and bring the knee up to your side.

chin ups are good, use both forward and reverse grips. Easier if you have a bar. I don’t so use forward grip on the landing from standing on the stairs.

start swimming, ride a singlespeed. google bodyweight exercises for more.

Kev

Its to do with not following a balanced programme and not training the opposing muscle groups

Yeah – I meant he did too many pressups without anything else 🙂

A Mix of

Singlespeeding – helps that Swinely, tunnel hill etc are ideal with lots of 5-10 minute climbs to work hard on, and hundreds of 30-60 second climbs to really push yourself on. Living up North was different, no need ofr upper body strength on a 30 minute climb.

Swimming – allows you to work hard on ‘rest’ days and good for ballanceing out muscles.

Road bikes (stick it in the big ring and sweat), google tempo training to train your body into burning fat rather than glycogen.

Seems to be working for me, I always had a big square torso and tiny arms, now at least I look in proportion even if I’ve not yet lost any significant weight.

96 to 93kg since Febuary, but I’ve put on a lot of muscle whilst losing some fat which conventional weight training by the cut&bulk method wouldn’t have allowed.

Road bikes

I’m sorry – road bikes for upper body strength? Is that why all roadies are so buff up top?

Interesting topic. Something that fits me at the moment. I have always been tall and skinny, but relatively fit. The only part of my body that has bulked up in any way is my legs, but even then, no bigger than the average mans leg. Been a huge problem for my self confidence. I have tried free weights and the gym, but both seem to do nothing at all. I’m trying to put together a different plan to see if it will help. I gets to the point that I will wear long sleeve tops even in the height of summer to hide my boney arms.

Sounds like generics, colin.

Don’t be ashamed of it, I’m jealous of you. Being skinny is great for mtbing, running and rock climbing.

I guess it is. But doesn’t do me any favours in quite a few parts of my life.

No? Burning desire to be a nightclub bouncer? Or trying to get laid by shallow girls? 🙂

@ st colin:

Eat more and lift heavier.

It will work.

Not necessarily Jamie – some people can’t put anything on.

Haha, quite. It’s more about just getting some definition, not to bulk up like Arnie. But to be told subltely, on a few ocassions, by your girlfriend that she likes ‘partner to be bigger than me’* then it can knock you somewhat. Basically a round about way of saying ‘i think you’re too skinny’

*no smut please 😀

But to be told subltely, on a few ocassions, by your girlfriend that she likes ‘partner to be bigger than me’*

She sounds like a sh*t gf. Tell her if she wants a bigger partner go to a gym and find one. Have some self respect man!

Anyway if you want definition it’s low bodyfat you need not big muscles.

EDIT: Why not tell your gf to lose some weight if she wants to be smaller than you? 🙂

Not necessarily Jamie – some people can’t put anything on.

Rubbish. Sorry, but it is.

I have an ectomorph body type. To gain weight, I need to lift heavy, longer rests, lift slowly, eat a lot of cals, but not as much aerobic fitness. This counteracts against bulking with that body type.

Rubbish. Sorry, but it is.

Yeah?

Perhaps I should rephrase. Some people find it incredibly difficult even to put on a tiny bit of muscle.